Revolution + Dictatorship
When did Tsar Nicholas II abdicate the throne during the February Revolution?
Nicholas II abdicated on 2 March 1917, ending over 300 years of Romanov rule.
What was the result of the 1917 Constituent Assembly election?
The Socialist Revolutionaries won 53% of the vote, while the Bolsheviks won 24%, but the Bolsheviks closed the assembly in January 1918.
When did Stalin become General Secretary of the Communist Party, and why was this important?
Stalin became General Secretary in April 1922, which allowed him to appoint supporters to key party positions, building a strong power base.
What was collectivisation, introduced under Stalin?
Collectivisation was the forced merging of private farms into large collective farms (kolkhozes) controlled by the state to increase agricultural production.
What was the Red Terror (1918–1920)? Who conducted it and how many were purged?
he Red Terror was a campaign of repression by the Cheka, targeting political opponents of the Bolsheviks. Around 500,000 people were killed.
What was Order No.1, issued by the Petrograd Soviet in March 1917?
Order No.1 (1 March 1917) was a charter of soldiers’ rights that required soldiers to obey the Provisional Government only if its orders did not contradict those of the Petrograd Soviet, increasing the Soviet’s authority over the army.
What role did Trotsky play in the Bolshevik victory in the Civil War?
Organised and led the Red Army
Recruited 50,000 former Tsarist officers
Imposed strict discipline and used trains to move troops quickly.
What was the Triumvirate (Troika) formed after Lenin’s illness?
The Triumvirate was an alliance between Stalin, Zinoviev and Kamenev (1922–23) to isolate and defeat Trotsky.
What happened to the kulaks during collectivisation?
Kulaks were labelled “class enemies.” Many were executed, deported, or sent to labour camps, and 15% of peasant households were destroyed by 1929.
What event in 1934 triggered the Great Terror?
The murder of Sergei Kirov in 1934, which Stalin used as a justification to launch widespread purges.
What was dual authority in Russia after the February Revolution?
Dual authority was the division of power between the Provisional Government and the Petrograd Soviet in 1917, creating political instability.
What were the main terms of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (March 1918)? (3)
1/6 of its population
74% of its iron ore and coal
And had to pay 3 billion roubles in reparations to Germany.
What was Lenin’s Testament, and why was it significant in the power struggle?
Lenin’s Testament criticised leading Bolsheviks and warned that Stalin had too much power, suggesting he should be removed as General Secretary. It was suppressed by Zinoviev and Kamenev in 1924.
What was the purpose of the Five-Year Plans?
The Five-Year Plans aimed to rapidly industrialise the USSR, focusing on heavy industries such as coal, steel and electricity.
What were the Show Trials of the 1930s? Also give me two examples of Show Trials that took place.
Public trials where leading Bolsheviks were forced to confess to crimes against the state, often leading to execution.
What were the April Theses, and what did Lenin call for in them? (4 things)
Immediate end to the war
All power to the Soviets
No support for the Provisional Government
Land redistribution to peasants
What was War Communism, and why was it introduced?
War Communism (1918–1921) was introduced to help the Bolsheviks win the Civil War. It included:
Grain requisitioning
Nationalisation of industry
Ban on strikes
Rationing of food and goods.
What was the United Opposition, and what happened to it?
The United Opposition (1926) was an alliance of Trotsky, Zinoviev and Kamenev against Stalin. They were accused of factionalism and expelled from the party in 1927.
What was the Stakhanovite movement, and by what inspirational act (specifically!) was it inspired by?
It encouraged workers to exceed production targets. It was inspired by Alexei Stakhanov, who mined 102 tonnes of coal in under six hours in 1935.
What were the consequences of Stalin’s military purges of 1937? (At least 2 - be specific!)
The purges removed large numbers of experienced officers:
23,000 officers were shot or dismissed
Included senior commanders such as Tukhachevsky
This weakened the Red Army before World War II.
Why did Bolshevik support grow between February and October 1917?
The Provisional Government failed to withdraw from World War I
Economic problems and food shortages continued
The July Days and Kornilov Affair weakened the Provisional Government
Bolsheviks promised “Peace, Land, and Bread” and “All Power to the Soviets.”
Membership rose from 23,000 in February 1917 to around 200,000 by October.
Why did the Kronstadt Rebellion (1921) pose a serious threat to the Bolshevik government? (1x specific fact needed minimum)
It was dangerous because:
The rebels were 30,000 sailors who had previously supported the Bolsheviks
They protested against food shortages and Bolshevik repression
The revolt showed growing opposition from workers and soldiers
It was crushed by Tukhachevsky, and 15,000 rebels were sent to labour camps.
How did Stalin defeat Bukharin and the Right Opposition? (minimum 2x ways)
Turning against the NEP during the “Great Turn” (1928–29)
Using the grain procurement crisis to justify stronger state control
Removing Bukharin, Rykov and Tomsky from the Politburo in 1929.
What were the four major consequences of collectivisation for Soviet agriculture?
Mass peasant resistance
Slaughter of livestock (25%)
Falling grain production
A major famine (1932–34) that killed around 10 million people.
What was NKVD Order 00447 (1937)?
An order targeting “former kulaks, criminals and anti-Soviet elements.” About 100,000 people were arrested by autumn 1937.